Mali Radio Show
The Rickey household was frequently filled with the sounds of Mali. Salif Keita records when we were young, then Ali Farke Toure and Toumani Diabate CDs in later years, particularly the Ali and Toumani, Talking Timbuktu and In The Heart of the Moon albums. The desert blues of Ali Farke Toure has such a distinctive otherworldly sound its easy to forget he plays a standard 6 string guitar. Ry Cooder was another staple in our household and his collaborations with Ali Farke Toure are all incredible.
Toumani Diabate is one of the great master of my favourite instrument, the Kora. For those of you that don’t know, the Kora is played upright, has a long neck and two sets of strings - one for the right hand to play and one for the left. It has a gourd for the body which has a skin over it which is typically made of goat skin. When played well it can sounds like multiple instruments played at once because the melodies can be so complex.
I wanted to highlight some of the key instruments from Mali in this show - specifically the instruments which are part of the Griot storytelling culture. Alongside the Kora which I already mentioned, these are the Balafon, the Ngoni and Voice. You can find out more about these on my Instruments page!
This show also features the first Mother of Mankind original track - an Acid Rework of Bofou Safou by Amadou and Mariam which was created with the help of a producer (it was my concept but I don’t have the skillset to deliver on it!).
Hope you enjoy the show nearly as much as I enjoyed putting it together…
Full tracklist:
Ali Farke Toure and Ry Cooder - Bonde - Talking Tumbuktu
Bassekou Kouyate / Toumani Diabate / Fatoumata Diawara - Jarabi - AfroCubism
Trio Da Kali, Kronos Quartet - Eh Ya Ye
Bassekou Kouyate - Falani - I Speak Fula
Issa Bagouyogo - Louloun
Ballaké Sissoko, and Baba Sissoko - Bi Djelia - Sissoko and Sissoko
Toumani Diabate and Ali Farke Toure - Ruby - Ali & Toumani
Les Amazones D'Afrique - Doona
Fatoumata Diawara - Nterini - Fenfo
Issa Bagouyogo - Saye Mogo Bana - Timbuktu
Bassekou Kouyate Musow - For Our Women - I Speak Fula
Super Rail Band - Silanide
Salif Keita - Sina (Sambouya) - Soro
Salif Keita - Mandjou - Folon
Salif Keita - Madan
Salif Keita - Madan Exotic Disco Mix
Oumou Sangare - Fadjamou (St Germain Remix) - Mogoya Remixed
Oumou Sangare - Djoukourou (Auntie Flo Remix) - Mogoya Remixed
Amadou and Mariam - Bofou Safou Mother of Mankind Acid Rework
Ali Farke Toure - I Go Ka - The source
Kassy Made Diabete - Karamo - Afrocubism
Ali Farke Toure and Ry Cooder - Soukora
